The University of Iowa Libraries

Elizabeth "Betsy" Miller Richards, politician and women's rights advocate, was born in Providence, Rhode Island. Her father, Albert Miller, was a pioneer in anesthesia, and her mother, Ada Holding Miller, was a musician and president of the National Federation of Music Clubs. Elizabeth Miller graduated from Radcliffe College in 1934, and married Charles Richards, a lawyer from Red Oak, Iowa, the following year. In 1947 the couple moved from Washington, D.C. to Red Oak with their children.

Richards became active in the Democratic Party in Red Oak. From 1963 to 1964 Richards was the secretary of the Democratic State Central Committee and in 1964 she ran an unsuccessful campaign for Democratic National Committeewoman. In 1966 Richards ran for state representative of Adams and Montgomery counties. She was also active in the League of Women Voters of Iowa and the National Organization for Women (NOW). In 1970, she wrote "The Cost of Political Campaigns," an article exploring the role of financial resources in political campaigns.

The Elizabeth Miller Richards papers date from 1929 to 1996 and measure 1 linear inch. The biographical materials include a 2005 interview with Richards and a Time magazine special issue "The American Woman," which covers Elizabeth Richards's involvement in NOW. Also included are articles featuring portraits and brief summaries of Elizabeth Miller's activities while attending Radcliffe College. The Political Campaigns folders consist of materials related to Elizabeth Richards's campaigns for political office, including "The Cost of Political Campaigns," written by Richards and published by the League of Women Voters of Iowa. The photographs include pictures of Richards at Radcliffe College and during her political activities in the 1960s.

Access: The papers are open for research.

Use: Copyright held by the donor has been transferred to the University of Iowa.

Acquisition: The papers (donor no. 1013) were donated by Elizabeth Richards in 2005.

Preferred Citation: Elizabeth Miller Richards papers, Iowa Women's Archives, The University of Iowa Libraries, Iowa City.

Repository:	Iowa Women's Archives
Address:	100 Main Library University of Iowa Libraries Iowa City, IA 52242
Phone:	319-335-5068
Curator:	Kären Mason
Email:	lib-women@uiowa.edu
Website:	http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/iwa

This collection is indexed under the following subject terms.

Personal Names:
Richards, Elizabeth Miller
Mason, Kären

Corporate Names:
Democratic Party (Iowa)
Democratic Party (Iowa) State Central Committee
National Organization for Women
Radcliffe College
Iowa General Assembly, House of Representatives

Dates:
20th century

Topics:
Political campaigns
Women's rights
Women in politics
Campaign funds

Occupations:
Politicians
College students

Geographic Names:
Red Oak (Iowa)

Genre/Form of Materials:
Archives
Photographs
Personal papers
Sound recordings
Cultural artifacts
Posters
Oral histories (Document genres)

Browse:
Women, Politics and the Law